[Verse - No drums] G C G On a warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere G G D I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to speak G C G So we took turns a-starin' out the window at the darkness C G D7 G 'Til boredom overtook us and he began to speak. G C G He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces, G D Knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes, G C G And if you don't mind me sayin', I can see you're out of aces, C G D G And for a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."
(bass drum on 2 and 4 to begin with - no snare) G C G So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow; G G D Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light, G C G And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression, C G D G ' said "If you're gon na play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.
[Chorus - Half time shuffle] G C G You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, C G D Know when to walk away And know when to run. G D G C G You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table; C G D G There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done.
[Verse] A D A Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin' A E Is knownin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep A E A D A 'Cause every hand's a winner, and every hand's a loser, D A E A And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."
[Verse] A D A And when he finished speakin', he turned back toward the window, A E Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep, (drums stop) A E A D A And somewhere in the darkness, the gambler, he broke even, D A E A But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.
[Chorus - Drums back in] A D A You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, D A A E Know when to walk away And know when to run. A E A D A You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table; A D A E A There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done.
[Chorus] A D A You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, D A A E Know when to walk away And know when to run. A E A D A You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table; A D A E A There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done.
[Chorus - A Cappella] A D A You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, D A E Know when to walk away And know when to run. A E A D A You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table; A D A E A There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done.
[Intro] [E][F#m][A][E] first note of melody is G# of the E chord (first fret on G string)
[Verse 1] [E] Twenty-five years and my life is still [F#m] Trying to get up that great big hill Of [A] hope for a desti [E] nation I [E] realized quickly when I knew I should That the [F#m] world was made up of this brotherhood Of [A] man, for whatever that [E] means
[Pre-Chorus] And so I [E] cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed Just to [F#m] get it all out, what's in my head and I [A] - I am feeling a little pe [E] culiar And so I [E] wake in the morning and I step outside and I [F#m] take a deep breath and I get real high and I [A] scream from the top of my lungs "What's going [E] on?"
[Chorus] And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] Heyeyey" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?" And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] Heyeyey" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?"
[Interlude] [E] Ooh, O [F#m] oh O [A] oh [E] [E] Ooh, O [F#m] oh O [A] oh [E]
[Verse 2] And I [E] try, oh my God, do I [F#m] try I try all the [A] time, in this insti [E] tution And I [E] pray, oh my God, do I [F#m] pray I pray every single [A] day For a revo [E] lution
[Pre-Chorus] And so I [E] cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed Just to [F#m] get it all out, what's in my head and I [A] - I am feeling a little pe [E] culiar And so I [E] wake in the morning and I step outside and I [F#m] take a deep breath and I get real high and I [A] scream from the top of my lungs "What's going [E] on?"
[Chorus] And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] Heyeyey" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?" And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] Heyeyey" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?"
And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] Heyeyey" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?" And I said " [E] Heyeyeyeyey [F#m] HeyeYEYEYE" I said " [A] Hey, what's going [E] on?"
[Interlude] [E] Ooh, O [F#m] oh O [A] oh . [E] ....
[Outro] [E] Twenty-five years and my life is still [F#m] Trying to get up that great big hill of [A] hope For a destin [E] ation